As part of its tribute to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Pathway Group is reaching out to past learners and employers to trace former apprentices who have been learners with the organisation to find out how their careers have progressed.
Our Pathway SkillsZone Centre teams across the country got an early start to the Platinum Jubilee when they held an open house for the celebration event before the beginning of the Bank Holiday weekend.
Apprenticeship origins can be traced back to the days of Queen Elizabeth I when they were first introduced as a seven-year scheme in 1563 bunting. By the early 20th century, England was training around 340,000 apprentices, and by the 1950s, apprenticeships were the main route into engineering, manufacturing, and construction jobs. During the 1960s, more than a third of young men started their working life as an apprentice.
In 1994, ‘modern apprenticeships’ were re-launched, and their development has progressed through new and improved frameworks and, more recently, standards. In 2019/20, there were almost 720,000 apprentices in training, and the most popular apprenticeships are now in business, administration and law, as well as health, public services and care.
“Apprenticeships have changed considerably and a world apart from when apprenticeships began at the beginning of the Queen’s reign. They continue to evolve, and we now have attractive opportunities across a range of sectors to reflect changes in employment; we have a new Head of Apprenticeships and are keen to talk to employers and young people seeking opportunities with the apprenticeship programme.”
“It was lovely to get everyone together. It was a chance for staff, employers, and learners to enjoy an indoor picnic. People looking at the wide range of training opportunities were also able to come and see some of the skills training that is available.”
“There was an opportunity to talk to experts in fields as diverse as health and beauty, retail, and teaching. In addition, people could observe manicure demonstrations and have their nails done before the bank holiday.”
Sajad Ali, COO of Pathway Group
